Work experience with a twist was showcased to city leaders thanks to four Wolverhampton apprentices who took part in a cultural exchange.
Pictured with Councillor Philip Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s cabinet member for Schools, Skills and Learning are apprentices l-r Gemma Lloyd, Georgie Harrison, Ryan Taylor and Serena Anslow
The apprentices who work for Wolverhampton City Council in business administration were selected earlier this year to take part in a two-week work programme based in Ireland.
They were among a group of 20 apprentices from the Black Country who signed up to the scheme, which was organised by training experts BCTG.
BCTG secured funding through the European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme, which encourages work-related training abroad, to run the trip earlier in March.
And for the Wolverhampton City Council apprentices who took part, their time working in Ireland was so positive they organised a presentation to highlight the experience to their council bosses.
Among guests at the showcase, held at Wolverhampton Art Gallery was Wolverhampton City Council Councillor Philip Page, Wolverhampton City Council’s cabinet member for Schools, Skills and Learning.
Sue Reynolds, support manager from Whitmore Reans-based Trinity Training Services, who is the training provider working with the apprentices, said: “It really was a valuable experience for them all, and an opportunity to enhance their CVs with regard to working in another EU country. They were a credit to themselves, us and the council during their time in Ireland.”
The EU programme funds practical projects in the field of vocational education and enables young people to train in another country in their chosen sector.
Chris Luty, BCTG managing director, added: “The aim of the programme is to exchange best practices, increase expertise and make vocational education more attractive to young people. Running the trip was a pilot for us and it went very well indeed, so much so we are now exploring the idea of taking a group of Black Country engineering apprentices to businesses in Germany next year.”
